Sarawak leads Malaysia with new green, governance reforms, says state A-G

KUCHING (Jan 16): The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) passed a series of landmark laws in 2025 aimed at strengthening sustainability, governance, and institutional resilience, said State Attorney-General Dato Sri Saferi Ali.

According to a Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) report, he said these laws reflect the state government’s continued commitment to sustainable development, good governance and institutional reform.

“The enactment of these laws was a strategic move to ensure state policies could be implemented effectively through a strong and resilient legal framework,” he said during the opening of the Sabah and Sarawak Legal Year 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).

Among the key legislations approved was the Sarawak Land Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, designed to strengthen land governance while streamlining management mechanisms and ensuring legal compliance.

“This step not only supports Sarawak’s sustainable development agenda, but also reinforces the state’s position as a national leader in green legislation and progressive governance,” he said.

The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 was also passed to enhance protection of the state’s biodiversity and support sustainable research and conservation of biological resources, he added.

Amendments to the Sarawak Constitution through the Sarawak Constitution (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 reflected ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional structures and governance capacity in line with current needs, he noted.

In the arena of physical development and environmental protection, Sarawak also made history with the Building (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which introduced green building standards and sustainability compliance requirements.

“This move positions Sarawak as the first state in Malaysia to have a statutory legal framework governing green buildings and certification,” he said.

Complementing these initiatives, the Sustainable Resources and Waste Management Ordinance 2025 was enacted to establish a central authority for sustainable resource and waste management, promoting a circular economy approach that balances environmental protection with economic value creation.

The ceremony was also attended by Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Seri Utama Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran V. Murugeson, Court of Appeal President Dato’ Abu Bakar Jais, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Chief Judge of Malaya Dato’ Hashim Hamzah, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi, and Sabah State Attorney-General Datuk Brenndon Keith Soh.